SCOTLAND.
Tuesday witnessed the usual bustle of municipal elections in the Scotch boroughs. On the whole, in those places from which we have reports, the Liberals seem to have advanced. But such was not the case in Edinburgh, where the result is to give the Couservatives the trifling gain of 1 in the Town-Council, the Dissenters a gain of 3: the numbers now stand thus—Liberals 28, Conservatives 4; or—Churchmen 9, Dissenters 24. There was, however, no contest on party grounds. At Glasgow, the Conservatives abstained from the struggle, in a body ! There were in the Council 18 Liberals and 14 Conservatives ; now there are 24 Liberals and 8 Conservatives. At Falkirk and Leith also, the Conservatives did not show themselves.
At a meeting of the Senate of Glasgow University, on Tuesday last, a string of resolutions was passed, directing the preparation of a peti- tion to Parliament for the repeal (except as to Divinity Professorships) of the Act of Parliament of Scotland in 1707, entitled "An Act for securing the Protestant Religion and Presbyterian Church Govern- ment," which requires Professors to subscribe the Westminster Con- fession of Faith and to conform to the worship and discipline of the Church of Scotland- " The motion for their adoption was made by Dr. Thomas Thomson, Profee- sor of Chemistry in the University, a gentleman of more than European repu- tation ;. and seconded by General Sir 'Thomas Brisbane, Dean of Faculties in the University, a gentleman known throughout the civilized world as an astro- nomer and a man of science in general of the first order. The Professors op- posed to the abrogation of the obnoxious law put forth all their strength, but In vain. After a discussion of great length, the resolutions were carried by eleven votes to seven ; being supported by the Dean of Faculties, and the Pro- fessors of Chemistry, Humanity, Mathematics, Greek, Institutes of Medicine, Civil Engineering, Church History, Practice of Medicine, Botany, and Foren- sic Medicine ; and opposed by the Principal of the College, and the Professors of Divinity, Surgery, Logic, Moral Philosophy, Hebrew, and Laws. The Lord Rector of the University, Mr. Fox Manic, could vote only in case the votes on both sides were equal; but he spoke strongly in favour of the repeal of the law. Six members of the Senate (the Professors of Anatomy, Natural Philosophy, Natural History, Materia Medics, Astronomy, and Midwifery) were absent, some on account of illness, and some on account of their lectures. Two of these are understood to be in favour of the test, and the other four against it. On the whole, therefore, sixteen members of the Senate are in favour of open- ing up the chairs (with the exception of the Divinity ones) to all men of talents and learning, without distinction of sect or party, religious or political; while the old exclusive system has only nine supporters."—Morning Chronicle, after the Glasgow ,Argus.
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